His voice is so kind that I almost start bawling, but I force myself to stay focused. “You know how Maisie had bad sex? Well I hadgreatsex. With my personal trainer.”
Dale’s eyebrows fly up. “You go, girl! Why do you look like you’re about to cry?”
“Maisie came home this morning and told Cole to go…that it was inappropriate. It was before I woke up. And he left. So maybe it was a one night stand. Or maybe she scared him off. Either way I have to see him at the gym for our next session in an hour and…I don’t know if I can face it, Dale.”
“No! You have to go. Don’t you dare let your sister dull your light. Or get in your way. She’s caused enough damage already.” Dale puts his hands on his hips. “I’m serious. And I’m your boss. So you have to do what I say.”
I smile. “Okay, then boss.”
Dale looks at me for a second and then grabs a bottle from the shelf. “I’ll finish the toner and put her under the dryer while you get changed. Wear your nice outfit. Put some lipgloss on.”
I nod and head downstairs. I try to make myself look more presentable. There’s a crash from upstairs.
I run upstairs. Maisie is standing, her eyes popping and her mouth open, looking at herself in the mirror. The hair dryer is lying in two pieces on the floor, along with her sunglasses. Her hair is purple.
“What have you done? My hair! You idiot!” Maisie’s so shocked that her voice is suddenly quiet.
Dale looks over at me. I know him well enough to see he’s suppressing a smile. “Oh I’m so sorry Maisie. I must have mixed up the bottles and put my purple toner on your hair instead of the silvery one. How silly of me. It should wash out in a few washes. Or I can try and fix it…”
Maisie holds up her hand. “You willnottry and fix it Dale. My mistake was having my hair done here in the first place. I’m a pageant queen, I havestandards. I’m never coming back here.” She looks over at me. “I’m leaving. My bags are here so I’m going to try and make it back in time to see if I can get an appointment at Mario’s. Don’t try and convince me, Alyssa.”
She’s waiting expectantly for me to say something, but I just hold the silence. When she realizes I’m not going to beg her to stay, her face drops. “Well, I’m going. I’m not paying for this mess. It will be a long time before I come back to this shithole. I don’t want to run into that supermarket guy anyway. You’ll have to come visit me instead, Alyssa.”
I nod. Again, it’s not the response she expects. She looks like she’s going to say something, but instead bends down and picks up her sunglasses and bag from the floor and leaves the salon.
Dale and I stare at each other before we both burst into peals of laughter.
“Dale, you are bad. What the hell did you do to her hair?” I say once I can talk again.
“It’s temporary. It’s what I use for my hair but I didn’t mix it with anything. That’s why it was so bright.” He winks. “Get your butt off to the gym and talk to your hot trainer. Your sister is out of your hair for once!”
I give him a hug and grab my coat. Everything feels brighter as I make my way to the gym. Maisie’s gone and I’m about to see Cole again. My stomach clenches in excitement as I open the door, imagining his eyes lighting up when he sees me.
Juni looks up at me when I walk in. She looks worried about something, although she plasters on a professional smile.
“Hey, Alyssa. Good to see you. I hope you don’t mind but there’s been a change. Cole can’t take your session so you’ll be training with Ivar today.”
My heart sinks.
I was right. He doesn’t want to train me anymore. We crossed a line.
My cheeks flush red.
“That’s fine.” I say, even though it’s not and I want to run back out of the door.
ChapterSix
COLE
My Dad used to say things can go “from the sublime to the ridiculous.” I never really understood what he meant until now.
I’ve gone from the best, most fulfilling night of my life with the woman of my dreams, to standing holding a crying toddler, trying to stop water flooding into the room with the other hand and trying to calm down an enormous Newfoundland dog who keeps barking at the water pouring in.
Aron texted our group chat this morning by forwarding an emergency message from his best friend Kade, whose wife had gone into labor with their twin girls. Kade couldn’t get their car to start so he was heading over there to pick them up and drive them to the hospital. They needed someone to wait at home with their kid and the dog until Kade’s mom arrived from Newhope, which would take a few hours.
Ivar quickly volunteered to look after the gym, so I said I’d help out with the kid. Alyssa was still asleep, looking like an angel with her dark hair spread over the pillow, so I crept out of bed and got dressed, leaving her a note in the kitchen while I drank some coffee. I was going to go back and give her a kiss, but then her sister arrived and started acting crazy, telling me I had to leave. So I did.
I’ll make it up to Alyssa as soon as I see her again. If I make it out of here in one piece.
